[Nfbnet-members-list] Nationwide BRAL 2018-2019, Corrected

[Deborah Kent Stein]

 From December 1 until January 19, K-12 students across the country 
were busy reading and counting up their pages for the Nationwide 
Braille Readers Are Leaders contest (Nationwide BRAL), sponsored by 
the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults and the NFB 
Jernigan Institute in partnership with the NFB of Illinois. 
Twenty-six states signed up to participate in this year's 
competition, and 74 students from seventeen states submitted reading 
logs. Students are awarded prizes based on the number of Braille 
pages they read during the reading period, certified by a 
parent/guardian or teacher.

This year Virginia led in participation, with twenty-six students 
taking part. The Virginia School for the Blind (VSB) took an active 
role in encouraging students to get involved.

The top reader in this year's competition is Holly Connor, an eighth 
grader from Clayton, Missouri. Holly read a whopping 4,001 Braille pages!

The first-place winners in each grade category will receive a check 
for $25. Second-place winners receive $15, and third-place winners 
and honorable mentions receive $10. Each participating student will 
receive a packet of Braille-related gifts.

Below is a list of the 2018-2019 Nationwide BRAL winners.


NATIONWIDE BRAL WINNERS, 2018-2019

Grades K-1

First Place: Victor Turner, Romeoville, IL, 419 pages
Second place: Cole Fish, Vancouver, WA, 132 pages
Third Place: Rebecca Butler, Boaz, AL, 118 pages
Honorable Mention: Christian Lopez, Mesa, AZ, 114 pages

Grades 2-3

First Place: Aisha Safi, Chevy Chase, MD, 1995 pages
Second Place: Preston Rose, Egan, MN, 1479 pages
Third Place: Zanyiah Bell, Bowie, MD, 1099 pages
Honorable Mention: Clara Scelsi, Pell City, AL, 1020 pages

Grades 4-5

First Place: Noa Hottin, Alexandria, VA, 2503 pages
Second Place: Milo Sherman, Brooklyn, NY, 734 pages
Third Place: Jonah Rao, Columbia, MD, 721 pages
Honorable Mention: Isaiah Rao, Columbia, MD, 690 pages

Grades 6-8

First Place: Holly Connor, Clayton, MO, 4001 pages
Second Place: Nicholas Tarver, Many, LA, 1780 pages
Third place: Mercy Rao, Columbia, MD, 850 pages
Honorable Mention: Noah Kano, Pingree Grove, IL, 827 pages

Grades 9-12

First Place: Samuel Thurston, Chesapeake, VA, 1657 pages
Second Place: Josh Greer, Medical Lake, WA, 949 pages
Third Place: Aaliyah McKethan, Galloway, NJ, 757 pages

MOST IMPROVED READER

This award is given to a student who has shown exceptional 
improvement in reading since the previous contest. This year's most 
improved reader is Mercy Rao, grade 6, Columbia, MD.

KELLY DOTY AWARDS

The Kelly Doty Awards are presented in memory of Kelly Doty, a 
longtime member of the NFB of Illinois who was a dedicated promoter 
of Braille literacy. These awards are given to students who have 
coped with extra challenges in order to become proficient Braille 
readers. Such challenges include, but are not limited to, having 
disabilities in addition to blindness or being an English language 
learner. Here is the list of the students who received this year's 
Kelly Doty Awards.

Katra Abdi, grade 3, St. Cloud, MN
Sadie Ainsworth, grade 3, Parker, CO
Noa Hottin, grade 4, Alexandria, VA
Benjamin Shambarger, grade 9, Lisbon Falls, ME
Samuel Thurston, grade 9, Chesapeake, VA
Victor Turner, grade 1, Romeoville, IL
Kollin Uttech, grade 12, Watertown, WI

Congratulations to all of these winners, and to the families and 
teachers who encourage and support them in their reading. Braille 
readers are leaders!




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